My car ended up being totaled. While I’m grateful no one was hurt, I was heartbroken at losing my car. The Civic represented a very important time in my life. It was the first car I ever bought all on my own, after I was out of school, and before I was married. It was also a beautiful, comfortable car, and Taylor and I had a lot of fun in it. We took a lot of road trips in it and he used it to drive to important work events and business meetings. When the adjuster called to tell me it was totaled, he said, “I can tell that you take really good care of this car, and that you really have enjoyed having it.”

Dear Civic, you will be missed. You were a great car. But now it’s time to move on. Thanks for everything.

-C-

I hope you all have a great weekend!

-C-

So I set out to make my tilapia picatta, and ended up missing few ingredients, and deciding to cook things differently than advised. However, it turned out pretty darn good, so I thought I would share the recipe with all 12 of my readers.

Tilapia Not-Quite-Picatta and Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Tilapia filets, thawed but still cold
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg white
• 1 dash of milk
• 1 T. Italian Seasonining
• 1 T. Garlic Salt
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• A bunch of asparagus
• Lemon juice
• 3 T Olive Oil
• Capers

Steps:

• Prep the asparagus first. It’s easier, and cookes at a higher temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the asparagus and trim the ends, so there’s no white left.
• Arrange the asparagus in a single row in a pan.
• Drizzle 1.5 T olive oil over the asparagus, along with about 1.5 T lemon juice, or more if you like that
• Top with salt
• Stick in the oven while you prep the fish (the asparagus will cook for 7-12 minutes)

Fish:

• Mix together the egg white and milk
• Put the bread crumbs and Italian Seasoning on a plate. If you feel like it, throw in some flour for good measure. It helps everything stick together
• Dip the tilapia filets in the egg/milk mixture, then dredge them in the bread crumb mixture
• Arrange in a single layer in a nonstick or greased pan
• Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, several Tablespoons of lemon juice, and top with a couple of tablespoons of capers. They add a little kick!
• Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Take out the asparagus if the tips are turning dark brown.
• Put the fish in for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, make sure to take out the asparagus and move the fish to the top rack in the oven. Turn on the broiler on HIGH for about 5 minutes, until the bread crumbs are a nice golden brown.
• Make sure the fish flakes with a fork – that’s how you know it’s done.
• SERVE!

I served this with a small side salad and some tabouli. Let me know what you do to mix it up!

Fewer families are crazier than mine. Fewer families are more awesome than mine. I am truly blessed…doesn’t this look like the perfect group of people to spend your Easter with?

And yes, I’m the one holding the glass of wine.

Over the weekend, I went to Houston. It was exactly what I needed.

Because of the actions of several people, and due to problems such as human trafficking, organ harvesting, and child smuggling, UNICEF has put all adoptions from Haiti on hold for one year. This is the news my dentist received last week upon making his third trip in as many months to try to pick up his son. But what really got to me as he was telling me the stories of devastation was his despair at the Haitians lack of waterproof shelter. While he and his trip-mates were staying in a hotel and had a car to drive, he said the majority of Haitians are living in tent cities – but these cities are made up of anything the Haitians can find to put over their head. The majority of these coverings are not even waterproof.

What makes this especially difficult and heart-wrenching is the fact that Haiti is now in the rainy season. My dentist said it rained the whole time he was there, at times so hard that he was soaked to the bone after 3 seconds. Imagine living in that. Imagine caring for your children in that.

So, now there is a group focused on helping to bring waterproof tents to the Haitians. Of course, we want to rebuild homes in Haiti, but obviously that is a ways off, at least until after the rainy season. So for now, this is something you can do. Go to A HOME IN HAITI and give what you can – whether you can donate a few dollars, buy a whole tent, or start a tent drive in your area.

Please spread the word.

C

Anyway, here is a list of the books I have read recently:

- Commencement

- Nanny Returns

- Life of Pi

- Committed

- Family Affair

- Their Eyes Were Watching God

What are some good books you have read lately?

-C-

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- Chocolate mousse. Seriously. I could eat it every night for dinner with a glass of red wine and be the world’s happiest (and fattest?) girl

- Dancing

- Red Dirt Country Music. Jason Boland, I die every time.

- Sitting around a fire, listening to a friend playing guitar, and drinking red wine. All 3 separately, or any combination of the 3.

- Reading trashy gossip magazines

- Red carnations. Snap dragons. Orchids.

- Puppy breath

- Hugs from the Harold (officially called the “Wheaten Welcome”, Wheatens innately know how to give you a hug)

- Road trips

- Sunsets in Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, California, and Mexico.

- Pedicures

- Perfectly cooked, lemony white fish with asparagus, orzo, and lots of red wine.

- The very few and far between nights where I can pretend I’m in college again.

- Dallas, and everything that comes with it.

- Hugs

- The smell of brewing coffee, especially Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut or Java Dave’s Snickerdelicious

- Pioneer Woman’s Drip Beef (the recipe that uses pepperoncinis). It could convert a vegetarian, no joke.

- Skeleton Keys

Oh there’s so much more.

What are some things that you love love?